The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector with a retention system which can effectively resist a mating force of the connector to ensure proper electrical connection between contacts of the connector and a circuit board.
An electrical connector is commonly fixed to a circuit board by a retention member for securely fixing the connectors onto the circuit board and for absorbing a portion of mating force exerted on contacts received in the connector when a mating connector is engaged therewith. Referring to FIG. 1, a pair of conventional retention members 100 are fixed to opposite ends of a dielectric housing 200 of a conventional connector. Each retention member 100 comprises a mounting plate 110 defining a mounting hole 120 therein for receiving a screw (not shown) to attach the retention member 100 to the housing 200, and mounting legs 130 for being inserted into corresponding through hole 500 defined in a circuit board 300 thereby fixing the connector to the circuit board 300. However, the through holes 500 of the circuit board 300 compromise circuitry arrangements on the circuit board 300 and do not promote a conservation of space thereon. Therefore, a surface mount retention member has come into wide application.
A pertinent conventional retention system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,654. The retention system comprises a pair of U-shaped retention members. Each retention member forms a pair of leg portions extending along the longitudinal direction of a connector and generally parallel to a mating printed circuit board, and a bight portion joining the leg portion and generally perpendicular to the PCB. A dielectric housing of the connector defines a pair of recesses corresponding to the retention members. The retention members are securely engaged within the corresponding recesses. Each retention member forms a horizontal bottom surface of a leg portion to be surface mounted to a corresponding soldering pads of the mating circuit board. Thus, the connector is fixed to the PCB. However, since the retention members are manufactured from a large amount of material and the recesses of the housing are difficult to form, the manufacturing process becomes complicated and costly.